New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-11-02
The Strike at Groton Gorge

The Strike at Groton Gorge.
Saturday Night.
Arethusa Allen w@s only eighteen
when she came to Groton Gorge to
take charge Of the district school-a
slight, dark-eyed slip .of thing, with
low voice, and such a shy, timid
way that the big girls and the rebel
idious boys at once jumped to the con-
:lusion that she would be conquered
at once in her capacity of ~"school-
ma am"
They discovered tiseir mistake,
however, in a very brief period of
time. Miss Allen might ba quiet, but
she had the spirit of e. Joan OF Arc.
She reduced her little flock to order,
and she kept them there, too.
Mrs. Binns, who presided over the
George House, also bore ties timony in
hbehalf OF Arethusa Allen.
i Il didn't s'pose, when First see her,
s&hat she would amount to "a row of
pins" said Mrs. Binns, who weighed
three hundred pounds and stood five
Aeet eight in her stockings. 1tA slim,
schoolgirl lookin' creetuc like that!
'And l hadn't a room to spare, and I
didn't see how | could possibly.aeeom-
n2nodate her. But she spoke up so
'pretty-like that she hadn' tsno friends
and didn't know where to go,>so says
Il: 'If you don't mind room over
The laundry, can clear out some OF
ahesstores and put up a. cot'beG till
the~season is over. It's noisy place,
lay times says I, with them Chinese
aacklin' and screechin,' but it's still
and tpaaceable at nights. And if you'll
help'sale make out the bills and keep
accounts, Miss Allen says I, tI'llcon-
sideriiti in your board, for 1 ainit $40
scholar and never was.''
Mrs. ,Bjnns was an ungainly creature
to look at, but she was as beautiful at
heart as the Venus di Medici's self,
and Arethusa soon felt herself at!honae
in thehittle room over the laundry,
whose windows looked out at the
thread,like} fall of silver cascade and
the unfathomable gloom of the fir
glens hey ond. For Groton Gorge was
as lovely a;place as ever leaned from
mountain-platean over the misty val
ley low; and'the Groton House was
tull of city !boarders.
Nor was the domestic.st com
temptible. Mrs. Binns had all her
servants from the city during the sunni
mer-seasom, and to all appearances
everything event. on velvet.
But one foggy August morning Mrs.
Binns awakened to find herself racked
in every joint by acute rheumatism,
and utterly incapable OF moving.
She sent sGr Mrs. Mackenzie, the
cook, to give the days orders; but
Mrs. Mackenzie did not wait to hear
about roasting chickens and joints of
spring lamb before she began on her
@Vn account:
'"Sorrv to Ineonvenience you,
tzaes ma, said Mrs. Mackenzie, with her
aaNas akimbo; ''but we ladies and gen.
mantle down stains have concluded to
ask;for an increase@fsala larry. And until
yoss have conceded ito our demands
we shall be impealeG TO resist from
work.
Mrs. Binns opened harteyes wide.
"Aiaiit I payin' yoaa good wages al
ceadys" said she. 'And I,can't afford
to pay E3o more--not a cent.
Mis-. Mackenzie took a. stsoll Of paper
out OF isar apron and opened it.
81 haa'e here, 'sam, said she,
pursuing up her thin lips. st5he sigma
lures Of aM the ladies and gents at
present asSNtin' in the mediterranean
regises down stairs, including the four
walters of the colored gender, ,and the
GWo wash-laGnndrles; and we won t none
Of US agree to stay another hour with
0It you'll agree Al commentary Wsthin,
mt am, to rise GAR salaries
end Mrs. Mackenzie tossed her head
in Syitetui satisfaction.
MIS-. Binn ssank hack on her pillows.
Il can't give no answer" she said J.
mot With this paits is1 my bones. Send
Miss A3ethusa Alien 10 me, please
ooh. certainly, ma'am. certainly"
said the cook. rising, Sorry you feel
SO poorly. But you'll bear in mind,
ma'am, that we shall expect an an
lswer Immediately
And Mrs. Mackenzie withdrew.
Presently Arethns;s Allen came in
4for, as itchanced, the district school
had closed week previously, Tor the
summer vacatioH-and found Mrs.
Binns dissolved in Gears.
.1What is it, dear Afrs. Binns?s' said
Arethusa.
"The help has all struck for higher
yages! cried Mrs. Binns. And I'm